SOME LESSONS OF HISTORY. LECTURE BY DR. BORGHETTI.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 107, 2 November 1909, Page 2

SOME LESSONS OF HISTORY. LECTURE BY DR. BORGHETTI.

"Europe, i'ast, Present, and Future, or the Hising and Falling of the Natir.ns."' vus thu liiil 'title oi a lecture delivered last night by Dr. Borghetti in the Concert Uiamher of the Town Hall, under the auspices of the Public Library Committee. Dr. Tudor Jones occupied the chair, and briefly introduced the lecturer. Dr. Borghetti is known already to the public as the author of some philosophic and thoughtful pamphlets and communications to the daily press on ancieDt and modern history, treated from thb standpoint of the evolutionary hypothesis, and from a point of view apart iiom British prepossessions and prejudice?, but this was his first appearanco as a lecturer. His English diction, as readers of his articles know, is unexceptionable, but his accent and enunciation are somewhat ' imperfect, and last night he explained, his voice was suncrmg from recent indisposition. As the hall is far from an ideal one from a, speaker's or hearer's point of view the result was that the address was only partially audible to a part of tha audience. The lecturer handled his large subiect very ably and very boldly, iflustrating his points from history, ancient and modern, ho maintained ■ that from time to time new races were developed from the conflict and intermingling of <Ufterent stocks, these races, with much struggle and tribulation passing successively through the processes of centralisation, decentralisation, and decay. Special influences sometimes intervened to disturb the process, of which fact we had three outstanding examples iv modern history: the Renascence, the Reformation, and the French Revolution, which, with their attendant strife and turmoil, rejuvenated Europe. Tho copse of social eVolution was from individualism through nationalism and racialism, and the outlook of the future, through struggle, intermingling, and suffering, was towards universal co-operation and .brotherhood. In New Zealand we had not yet risen to- nationalism, and our need was immicration from abroad, with blendin/ of races as a consequence. We needed to set before us the highest ideals, to form a clear conception of our national destiny, and to develop an aristocracy of intellect. The lecturer's points -were received with applause, and a hearty vote of thanks was given at the close of his address.